Hopelessly
by Cetacean
Summary: After Final Jam, Mitchie agrees to meet Shane at midnight. Their meeting is full of anger, a missed canoe ride, and a kiss that was meant to be. Smitchie. Revised and edited. Previously on my alternate account.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is what I think should have happened after Final Jam. It's exactly what you'd wished for – a canoe ride, a kiss, and a tad bit of anger.**

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**Mitchie's Point of View**

I sat on the dock in the pitch dark, with my feet dangling precariously over the edge. I dipped my feet into the cool water, and sighed deeply. I'd been waiting for Shane for over an hour now. Where was he? Usually when a guy asks you to meet him somewhere, he shows up. But hey, there's a first time for everything, right?

"Mitchie! Hey!" Shane exclaimed, running up behind me.

I half turned towards him. I knew I had no right to be mad at him at the moment, considering how I had lied, but I couldn't help myself. I took my feet out of the water and stood.

"I've been waiting for an _hour and a half_, Shane. Did you just forget me?" I snapped.

Shane winced. "I'm sorry, but I really had no choice…" He started off strong, but trailed of uncertainly. His eyes shifted back and forth restlessly.

I strode off the dock and away from _him_. I had given him my heart in that song, but was I not important enough to have just a few minutes of his time? I stopped when I was well into the forest, and turned around expectantly. If Shane had followed me, then that meant that he really was sorry. I felt my heart soften when I caught sight of him only a few feet away.

"Do you want to know the truth?" Shane spat. "You won't like it."

I raised my chin. "Try me."

"Tess. Tess is why I'm late. She corned me after I spoke to you, and she…she sort of…" Shane looked disgusted.

"She…?" I prompted.

"She kissed me." Shane stated, and I felt my jaw drop.

"Is that all?" I tried to sound normal, but it came out as more of a squeak.

"Well, she _tried _to go further, as in, a heck of a lot further, but needless to say, it didn't work." He explained.

I felt like I was choking. Where did that _bitch _get off thinking she could make out with my….Hold up a sec. What was Shane? My…friend? Something more? I had no idea. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. So I closed it.

"Mitchie, please don't be mad." Shane pleaded, closing the space between us and reaching for my hands. I snatched them away.

"Wait. That held you up for an hour?" I asked, not certain if I wanted to hear his answer.

Shane's eyes dropped to look at the ground. "No." He admitted. "That was just now. But before…well, Nate and Jason had an idea for a new song, and we got to talking…and I sort of forgot."

I glared at him. I was right. He _had _forgotten me. I was mostly mad, but I was also hurt. Was I really that easy to forget?

"You jerk!" I shouted, backing away from him. Shane followed. Not thinking, I reached up a hand to slap him. He grabbed my hand before it could strike him, still following me as I backed up. I attempted to take my hand back, but he was just too strong. So, still walking backwards, I tried to slap him with my other hand. He caught that one, too.

Shane had me backed up against a tree now. My heart was pounding at his closeness, and I found that I couldn't breathe. There was one heart-stopping moment of silence, and then his lips came crashing down onto mine. I closed my eyes instinctively, kissed back, and felt myself sink into him. Our hands, which had once been locked in a vice-like gripped, loosened and entwined. Shane made the kiss deeper, and gently pushed me up against the tree. I felt his tongue against my lips, and parted them slightly. Overhead, an owl hooted, and we jumped apart. Giggling at my tendency to be scared easily, I rested my forehead against Shane's.

"I'm sorry for yelling." I said.

"I forgave you a while ago, don't worry." Shane smirked, making my stomach flip.

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**A/N: Liked it; hated it? Leave your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is the original second and third chapters combined. The song in this chapter is Lovebug by the Jonas Brothers.**

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**Mitchie's POV**

"So," I gasped, smirking, "I was under the assumption that we were going for a canoe ride."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Shane grinned mockingly. "I guess I forgot – I was a bit preoccupied back there, y'know."

"I guess." I sighed, pretending to sulk. "But can we please go now?"

"Fine, fine." Shane grinned, leading me by the hand down to the dock.

We grabbed a pair of lifejackets, oars, and got in the same canoe as before. Could it have been really only a few days since we first went on the lake together? It felt more like months; so much had happened. I stepped delicately into the canoe; being careful not to rock it. Shane followed soon after, and pushed us off from the dock.

Oars in hand, we somehow managed to paddle our way out to the middle of the lake without going in even one circle. After making sure no one was around to spot us from other cottages, Shane set his oar down and indicated that I should do the same. We didn't speak for what could have been forever. The silence wasn't awkward with him – it just felt comfortable. Everything I did with Shane was within my comfort zone; I never felt nervous with him, not even for one second. After quite a while, Shane reached down and produced an acoustic guitar from beneath the seat.

My eyes widened, and I fought back a gasp. "Shane, you didn't have to…" I choked out.

"But I did." Shane smiled warmly. And with that, he slipped the strap over his head, strummed a few chords, and began to sing.

"I called you for the first time yesterday

Finally found the missing part of me

Felt so close but you were far away

Left me without anything to say

Now I'm speechless

Over the edge just breathless

I never thought I'd catch this

Lovebug again

Hopeless head over heals in the moment

I never thought I'd get hit

By this lovebug again

I can't get your smile out of my mind

I think 'bout your eyes all the time

Beautiful but you don't even try

Modesty is just so hard to find

Now I'm speechless

Over the edge just breathless

I never thought I'd catch this

Lovebug again

Hopeless head over heals in the moment

I never thought I'd get hit

By this lovebug again

Kissed her for the first time yesterday

Everything I wished that it would be

Suddenly I forgot how to speak

Hopeless, breathless, baby can't you see

Now I'm speechless

Over the edge just breathless

I never thought I'd catch this

Lovebug again

Hopeless head over heals in the moment

I never thought I'd get hit

By this lovebug again

Oh oh!

Lovebug again."

Shane played a few more chords before stopping. Wow. Could he be any more perfect?

"Shane." I sighed. "You are more definitely the _most amazing _boy…no, _man_, that I have ever met."

Shane beamed at my praise. "You're not so shabby yourself, either."

I giggled, and all of a sudden, the phrase _'I love you'_ came to mind. I was shocked. I had only known Shane for half the summer…you couldn't fall in love with someone that quickly, could you?

"Shane." I said again, my voice husky.

Without thinking, I stood, crossed the small space between us, and captured my lips with his. Shane kissed me forcefully back, slipping his hands around my waist to hold me there. It started out as a wobble first – so slight I thought it was just a wave. But then the next thing I knew, I was dumped in the ice cold water.

I rose to the top quickly, thanks to my lifejacket, and broke the surface gasping. "Oops!"

Shane chuckled; he was floating not far away from me. "Way to go, Mitchie. You flipped the canoe."

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed. "Your guitar! _I'm so sorry!_"

"Don't worry." Shane shrugged. "I've got it. A bit of water won't hurt it."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes it will!"

"Okay, maybe it will." He admitted. "But I've got forty more of these at home." Shane grinned.

We managed to flip the canoe back over without much trouble, and somewhere clambered back in without tipping it again. We silently picked up our oars – thankfully, those had not been hard to locate – and made our way back to camp. Half an hour later, and we'd arrived. Back on land, we dragged the canoe onto the beach, and went into the shed to replace our oars and lifejackets.

"Do you know what I just realized?" Shane asked playfully while we were still inside.

"No, I don't." I smiled back.

"You're wearing _white_." He informed me.

With a gasp, I glanced down and realized that he was right. My white tank top was nearly transparent now, and clearly showed my hot pink bra. "Oops." I repeated.

"Don't worry." Shane said. "There's other things about you I'd rather concentrate on."

I frowned up at him, confused.

"For example," he continued, "Those lips of your's."

And he pushed back up against the wall and kissed me.

I snuck back into my cabin at around four in the morning. Shane and I had made out for about three hours…ahem. We hadn't gone any farther though, which was good. I did have my purity ring to think about, after all. I tip-toed towards my bed; my soaked shoes squeaking dangerously loudly.

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn mumbled, sitting up in her bed.

"Um, hi?" I said tentatively, posing it as a questions.

"Let me guess," she smirked, "You met up with Shane?"

"Um, yeah." I admitted. "And I accidentally flipped the canoe."

Caitlyn snorted. "Smooth."

I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah, yeah. Rub it in."

"Y'know, I think I will-"

Caitlyn was cut off abruptly as Nate burst through the door. "You guys had better come quickly!" He gasped. "It's Shane!"

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**Mitchie's Point of View**

"What? What happened?" I shrieked, very possibly waking up the rest of the camp in the process.

"Follow me." Nate said shortly, and backed out of the door.

I sprinted back across the threshold, with Caitlyn hot on my heels. Nate headed for their cabin, and I sighed internally. At least he'd gotten back to his cabin. If whatever it was had happened to him while he was still near the canoes … no one would have found him until morning.

We followed Nate to the porch outside of the cabin, where Shane lay. Brown was standing over him, talking rapidly to emergency services.

"Shane!" I cried, sinking to the ground beside him.

Shane was having a violent seizure. Every inch of him shook, and his limbs were thrashing around wildly. Although his eyelids had remained open, his eyes had rolled back into his head. A wave of fear crashed over me, crippling me. I couldn't move; couldn't breathe.

"What's wrong with him?" Caitlyn gasped.

"Didn't Shane tell you?" Brown asked, frowning. "He's epileptic."

This astounding piece of information withdrew me from my stupor. "He's _what_?" I exclaimed.

Brown nodded. "It's true. Mind you, it hasn't acted up in over ten years. His doctors all thought that he just outgrew it…"

"Apparently he didn't." Nate commented wryly. "I'm guessing the media doesn't know?" He directed the question at Brown.

"No, they don't." The older man agreed. "And they had no reason to suspect it. Until now, of course."

How could they talk so calmly while Shane was in danger? I was shocked at their nonchalance. I strained my ears for the sound of sirens. Nope, still nothing. They had to be coming soon, right? I said a quick prayer that Shane would be alright. I didn't know what I would do if he wasn't. I longed to hold Shane's hand, but I didn't dare risk it while he was in such a precarious situation. I felt tears well up in my eyes, but I forced them back. Crying wouldn't help Shane.

Over my head, Nate, Caitlyn and Brown were still talking. I tried to tune them out, but it didn't work.

"Were Shane's seizures…severe?" Nate pressed.

"Very." Brown replied bitterly. Then, "Ah, finally."

The sound of sirens was detectable in the distance, and they were coming closer with each passing second. Soon we could hear the crunching of tires on gravel as the ambulance approached Shane's cabin.

Everything after that passed in a blur. I remember the ambulance attendants securing Shane's now-still body onto a stretcher, and loading him into the back of the vehicle. I remember Caitlyn commenting vaguely on how cute the attendants were, and how I'd snapped at her for making light of the situation. I remember the four of us scrambling into Brown's mini van to follow the ambulance to the hospital, and how we'd all taken seats outside of his room. But I never remembered drifting to sleep in the hard hospital chair until someone woke me up.

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked. "Mitchie, c'mon, wake up!"

I opened my eyes blearily and took in my surroundings. "How's Shane?" I exclaimed as soon as I remembered what was going on.

Caitlyn frowned, and my stomach twisted in fear. "The doctors won't say." She replied. "But we're allowed to see him now."

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**A/N: This is the last of my previously posted chapters, and I'll begin posting new chapters in a week. If it's late, feel free to spam my inbox.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who re-alerted and reviewed this: gmoneeBABEEE, Flyingtothestars, mamaxunicorn, SUPERNATURALfreakisJOBROFAN19, ersy, .Love37, Forever Your Angel, I'm a proud leach lover, KellyLovesNickJonas, Mira94, brucas224, gilmorekbm, il0v3hims0, inluvwithtv, kbg234, leytonfan991, nav6201, obsane, purplerainbows, xLilAngelX1993X, xoxlozashawxox, and xoxoKelsey. You guys are all awesome.**

**I go into detail about Shane's condition in this. If I made any mistakes regarding epilepsy, please let me know.**

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**Mitchie's POV**

I rose quickly from my chair, and followed Caitlyn to Shane's room. Hardly daring to breathe, I opened the door and entered.

The room was small. The walls were white, and the floor was tiled. Florescent lights lit up the room. It contained a small bed, a TV fixed to the wall, and a few plastic chaors. Shane lay unmoving in his hospital bed. The sheets were tucked tightly around him, with only his upper chest and head visible. Oxygen tubes fed air into his nose, and an IV was attached to his wrist. Shane's eyes were closed. A man and woman I recognized as Shane's parents were seated at his bedside.

I drew in a breath as my eyes filled with tears. I glanced at the digital clock on the wall. 6:00 a.m. We'd been waiting outside for over two hours.

"Mr. Grey, has the doctor said anything?" Caitlyn asked softly.

My eyes flickered to him. He looked to be in his late forties, with graying hair and wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. He should his head wordlessly.

Mrs. Grey turned to look at me. "You must be Mitchie." She said softly.

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Yes, I am." I nodded.

She smiled through her tears. "Shane told us all about you. He called every day."

I smiled, too. "Really?"

Mr. Grey nodded. "Shane was beside himself after he first met you. He really cares for you."

My stomach plummeted. I realized that they hadn't talked to him since before Final Jam. Shane may have cared for me, but that was before he found out that I had been lying to everyone. I could only hope that he still felt the same way, and that last night hadn't just been a shallow attraction.

I smiled wryly. "Thanks." I pulled up another chair and sat down by Shane's bed. I took his hand in both of mine and said a silent prayer that he would be alright.

It seemed like forever before Shane's doctor finally came in, but according to the clock only half an hour had passed.

A short, balding man in his fifties entered Shane's room. I immediately sat up straighter.

"Mr. and Mrs. Grey?" He asked gruffly.

They nodded. "I'm Dr. Strait." He said, shaking their hands.

I noticed Caitlyn leaving out of the corner of my eye. She wanted to give the Greys their space. I should probably have done the same, but I couldn't bear to leave Shane.

Mr. Strait turned to look at me. "Is this young lady your daughter?"

"No." Mr. Grey said.

The doctor had barely opened his mouth to protest my presence when Mrs. Grey cut in. "We'd prefer it if she stayed. I'm sure our son would prefer it, also."

Dr. Straight decided not to press the matter, although he looked like he wanted to.

"What's going on?" Mrs. Grey demanded.

Dr. Strait frowned. "Your son had Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. You already knew this, no?"

They both nodded.

"Myoclonic seizures usually occur when one wakes up, or early in the morning. But not as early as 3:00 a.m. This was a fluke." He paused before going on, "His condition, however, is not what concerns us. Shane has suffered severe head trauma. He likely hit his head when the seizure started."

"What do you mean, 'severe head trauma'?" Mr. Grey asked.

Dr. Strait sighed. "I was just getting there." He replied, "Shane has a severe concussion. His brain has shut down to try and heal itself."

Mrs. Grey broke down into huge, wracking sobs.

"Shane is in a coma. We cannot know for sure when he will wake up…_if _he does wake up. And if he does, there is no way of knowing how much he'll remember."

And with those words, my world collapsed.

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**A/N: Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well would you look at that. I'm actually keeping up with this whole "updating often" thing. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourited this. You guys are awesome!**

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"Mitchie?"

I blinked, and turned to face Caitlyn. I surveyed my surroundings warily. I was in the hospital cafeteria, yet I didn't have any memory of walking here. We - Caitlyn, Nick, Brown, Mr. Grey, Mrs. Grey, a newly arrived Jason, and I - were sitting at one of the many round plastic tables situated in the large white room. The servery seemed to be through a large brown door in the wall to our left. The entire room smelled of cabbage and burnt coffee.

"Yes?" I asked. My voice sounded weak and not at all like me. I felt unlike myself, also. My stomach was queasy, and my head was pounding. Other than that, I felt numb.

She smiled sadly. "How are you doing? The Greys just told everyone what the doctor said."

"Oh umm..." What was I supposed to say to that?" "Not good."

Caitlyn nodded wordlessly.

I was definitely not about to start a conversation. Everyone else at the table seemed past words.

I turned to look out the nearby window. The glass was flecked with dust, but the newly emerging sunlight still shone through. As it was the end of the summer, the sun wasn't rising quite as soon as it used to. The sun was just appearing on the horizon. Streaks of pink and orange coloured the sky as it began to brighten. The sun was behind trees in parts, giving them a sort of glow. The overall view was beautiful, but I couldn't fully appreciate it without Shane by my side.

_Shane._

Tears swam in front of my eyes. I tried to blink them away, but my emotions weren't having it. They slid unbidden down my cheeks. I saw Caitlyn look out me worriedly out of the corner of my eye, but she didn't say anything. She was smart. I probably would have snapped at her if she had. She could do nothing to stem the flow of pessimistic thoughts running through my mind.

What if Shane _didn't _get better? What if he never woke up? I'd probably want to slip into a coma myself if that happened.

What if he did wake up, but didn't remember me? For all I know, he would wake up being the jerk he used to be. He could have no memory of me at all, or worse - maybe he'd just remember my lies. Maybe he wouldn't remember Final Jam at all. I wouldn't be able to stand having him hate me.

When everyone else went to grab some breakfast, I remained still. I couldn't eat. If I did, it would probably all come back up anyway. The thought of food made my stomach turn.

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I was in Shane's room again. I would have come sooner, but the doctors wouldn't allow it. Visiting hours were from 12 - 2 p.m, they had all claimed. I protested, saying that I had been allowed in earlier, but apparently that had been a one time thing. Everyone aside from Shane's parents had gone home to rest. I hadn't slept in 28 hours. My eyelids were drooping, but I fought them. I wouldn't allow myself to sleep. Not now.

I looked Shane's still form. He appeared to be sleeping. I preferred to imagine that he was; that he wasn't trapped in his own mind.

Shane's parents sat on the opposite side of his bed. Mr. Grey was holding his wife close, and I could see love in their embrace. That was what I wanted. Pure, true love. I could see myself having that with Shane...

My eyes searched his face, eagerly looking for some sort of sign that he was waking up. His dark brown hair swept over his forehead. The locks were mussed and tangled, yet I still loved them. His eyes were closed, yet they were still rimmed with purple. His lips were parted slightly, and I could hear the slight whoosh of air through them as he breathed. I could hardly believe that only nine hours ago I had kissed them.

I let my mind wander, and in my mind's eye I could picture Shane awake and laughing. How I longed to see him like that once more.

I was startled out of my reverie by a noise in the hallway. I listened to it closely; determined to find out what it was. Only a moment later, it came again. Laughter. It immediately made me angry.

How could people still live when Shane couldn't?

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**A/N: I apologize for the sad tone of this chapter. It was necessary, though. But don't worry; he'll wake up soon enough. Please review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed.**

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"Mitchie, honey," A warm hand was placed on my shoulder, "I think it's about time that you went to rest."

I looked up into the face of Mrs. Grey. The toll that Shane's condition had taken on her was obvious. Her hair was in an unkempt bun, there were dark bags under her eyes, and her face looked thinner. As bad as I felt, I knew she felt worse. I smiled wanly. "Ok."

I had called my mom soon after Shane had been admitted. She was still living at Camp Rock, and said that she was ready to take me home as soon as I wanted. Thankfully, the camp was only about half an hour away from the city limits.

I took one last look at Shane's still form and left the room. Pulling my cell out of my pocket, I dialed mom's cell number and waited for her to pick up. Within forty minutes, most of which I spent in Shane's room, we were pulling out of the hospital parking lot.

Mom looked over at me sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

I nodded, but couldn't bring myself to respond. I turned to watch the fields, and then houses, go by as we entered suburbia.

"We can go back tomorrow, right?" I asked, glancing at the clock. It was 5:32 p.m.

Mom pursed her lips in thought. "I'm working all day tomorrow, but I'm sure your father wouldn't mind."

"Ok."

We remained silent after that. It seemed like hours had passed before we were pulling up outside our house, but in reality it only took ten minutes.

"Welcome home!" Dad bellowed as he rushed outside. My dad had driven home straight after Final Jam, as he had to get back to work. But I somehow felt as though I hadn't seem him in eons.

I smiled genuinely back at him. Despite everything, it felt good to be home.

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I stepped into the shower and sighed contentedly. I closed my eyes as the water ran over me, and wished it could just wash away the events of the last day. Unfortunately, that wasn't the kind of world that we lived in. I opened my eyes reluctantly and got to scrubbing. I shampooed the smell of the cafeteria out of my hair, and washed off the smell of antibacterial soap. I shaved my legs and underarms for the first time in forty-eight hours, and when I finally stepped out of the shower, I felt totally refreshed.

I dressed in baggy pajama pants and a tank top, and thundered my way ever-so-gracefully downstairs. My mood had brightened considerably. In the hospital, the smell of medication and the people in pain had been everywhere. The atmosphere had been severely depressing. Here, at home, it was easier to have a more positive outlook for the future. I decided that if Shane couldn't live for himself, I would live for him. I appreciated the birds singing outside my window, and smiled at the darkening sky. I breathed in the smell of my mom's famous apple pie, and savored the scent of her favourite perfume. I laughed at my dad's overused jokes at dinner, and basked in my parents' praise at my accomplishments of the summer. Shane never left my thoughts. And maybe, he'd somehow know.

I washed the dishes after dinner as my parents relaxed. It felt good to be able to help someone, even if that someone wasn't Shane.

We settled down after the cleaning was down to watch our favourite movie; _Pride and Prejudice. _After every romantic line spoken, I felt my heart lurch. Shane was my Mr. Darcy, and I his Elizabeth. A coma couldn't get in the way of fate, could it? No. I was sure true love could overpower anything. . . . Right?

My thoughts didn't stray from the man who had captured my heart. He had to be okay. He had to get through this. He was strong enough; I knew he was.

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I was startled from my sleep by the sound of We The Kings' _Check Yes Juliet_; my ring tone. I groaned, and glanced at the digital clock beside my bed. 4:07 a.m. Who could possibly be calling at this hour?

"Hello?" I slurred.

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn gasped. She sounded wide awake.

I was instantly alert. "What is it? Caitlyn? Tell me!"

"Nate just called me, and asked me to call you. Shane's awake."

I beamed. "That's great! Is he talking?"

"Yes…." Caitlyn sounded hesitant.

"Is there something wrong?" I demanded, my heart rate quickening.

"Sort of…"

"Caitlyn! Is he asking about me?"

Caitlyn drew in a deep breath. "I have to ask you something. Did he ever call you Mimi? Was that his nickname for you?"

My stomach dropped. "What? No!" Who was Mimi?

Caitlyn groaned. "Nate was right."

"Right about what?" I asked, even though I knew I wouldn't like the answer.

"Shane's awake," Caitlyn said again, "But he's asking about his ex-girlfriend."

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**A/N: Please don't hate me?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! You guys seriously made my day.**

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I felt numb. I couldn't feel; couldn't breathe. It was like I was in the middle of a nightmare; one I couldn't wake up from.

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn's voice sounded frantic.

I let out the breath I'd be holding. "I'm here," I answered. My voice sounded pitiful and weak.

She sighed, "I'm so sorry."

I shook my head - so what if she couldn't see it? "It's okay. It's not your fault."

I could almost hear Caitlyn rolling her eyes, "I know. But he's not exactly able to apologize for himself at the moment, now, is he?"

"You're right. Thanks."

"No problem," She replied, "Are you going to go see him?"

I gritted my teeth. Even though I knew it wasn't Shane's fault that he couldn't remember, I couldn't help feeling angry. But I didn't just feel angry - I felt _outraged_. "I'm not the one he wants to see at the moment, now am I?" I asked tersely.

"C'mon, Mitchie, you know that's not fair," Caitlyn protested, "It's not like he _chose _to forget you."

"I know," I replied, "I'm just . . . " What was I, exactly?

"Jealous?" Caitlyn supplied.

"Maybe."

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about." She chastised.

"You sound like a frickin' guidance counsellor." I grumbled.

"Whatever. My point is, you need to visit him. You owe him that much, Mitchie."

I sighed. "Alright. Are you and Nate heading over in the morning?" It was hard to believe that it was still a few hours before dawn. I felt wide awake.

"Of course. Shane's mom requested that all of Shane's family and friends be allowed in before visiting hours."

I nodded again. "Alright, hopefully I'll be there before 10:00."

"Ok. I've got to run - I'm using up my minutes. But text me if you need me."

"Will do," I said, "Bye."

"See you soon."

I flipped my phone shut and lay back down with a _thud_. My anger quickly melted away, and left me feeling vulnerable and defeated. I began to shake; my body wracked with sobs. Tears dribbled down my face, and I turned my face into my pillow to mute the sound.

He'd forgotten me. Shane, my so-called knight in shining armour, didn't remember even meeting me. How could I have been erased from his memory so easily? Was this some sort of payback for lying to him? What a sick, twisted punishment. Though I couldn't deny that I deserved it.

The question lurking at the back of my mind was; who was Mimi? His ex, I knew. But what kind of person was she? Was she someone who deserved him? Or just someone looking for fame? She was his ex, after all. But who had broken up with whom? I had no idea.

I rolled over, jammed my eyes closed, and did my best to fall asleep. With all those thoughts running through my head, however, sleep evaded me. At 5:00, I stopped trying. I reached for the book on my bedside table, _Breaking Dawn_, and tried to lose myself in it. Reading a romance while you were livesick, of course, was not the best idea. I found myself crying at quite a few of the lines. Oh, well that was useless...

I threw the book against the floor in my haste to rid myself of it.

I needed to distract myself for at least two hours, before I could pretend to wake up and beg a ride to the hospital. Even though I knew I wouldn't like what I found there, there was no way I couldn't just stay at home and not know what was going on. For all I knew, he would remember me when he saw me. I knew there was little or no chance of that happening, but I pushed that to the back of my mind. I have to have hope. I _had _to. Without that, what did I have left?

With lack of a better thing to do, I grabbed my iPod and put the earbuds in. I put on _Change _by Taylor Swift, and tried to lose myself in it.

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I lingered nervously outside of Shane's room. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. _In, out. Inhale, exhale. _I could do this. I opened my eyes, and took a step inside.

**A/N: What cliffie?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Aww, I love you guys. Your reviews made me smile.**

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My heart was pounding in my chest as I took that first step inside. My instincts were screaming at me to get out of there while I had the chance, but I pushed those thoughts away. I looked up as I entered, and immediately regretted doing so.

A girl with bleached blond hair was leaning in a peculiar way over Shane, so as he could get the best possible view of her cleavage. My stomach heaved, and I wanted to be sick.

"Babe, who's that?" Shane asked, sneering.

Even though his words were laced with venom, my heart flipped at the sound of his voice. I mentally cursed my attachment to him as I blinked back sudden tears.

Mrs. Grey's head snapped up from her vantage point near the door. "Mitchie, sweetie." She said softly. Her eyes were filled with sympathy.

I smiled weakly at her. "Hey, Mrs. Grey." My voice sounded small and pitiful.

"Honey, how many times must I ask you to call me Sophie?" She soothed, rising so that she could give me a hug. In the one moment I was near her, she whispered, "He's forgotten the last year."

As I took a seat next to Mrs. Grey, er... Sophie, I realized exactly what her words meant. I did the mental math, and remembered hearing news of Shane being broadcasted over Hot Tunes TV. Exactly one year ago ... Shane had been at his worst attitude-wise; snapping at anyone he disliked and demanding full attention from the media. He'd also been dating the lead singer of _The Vintage_, Mimi Williams. I remembered the pictures of her that had been plastered on magazine covers and billboards. She was the serial dater type. She didn't dress like a slut, but she sure dressed like one.

"_Aren't you going to introduce yourself_?" Shane snapped, his expression one of distaste as he looked me over. "Mom, when did you start letting groupies into my room?"

I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from speaking. From the way Sophie glanced at me, I knew that she would handle this one.

"Shane, dear ... you remember what the doctor told you, right?" She asked tentatively. She seemed almost scared of this version of her son.

Shane scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, all that forgetting stuff. But really, how would I know _her? _She's not exactly the type I'd want to chill with."

I felt shaky; almost as though all of my energy was being drained from my body. This pain was unknown to me. I felt as though I wanted to break down in tears, but at the same time, I wanted to rip Mimi limb from limb.

"Now, now," Mimi cut in, "Let's not be mean." Her voice contained only a trace of sarcasm.

She walked across the room to greet me. As I glanced her over, I felt uncomfortable in my jeans and hoodie. She was wearing a knee-length black pencil skirt paired with a pink satin bubble top. Her hair was wavy and smooth; mine was pulled back in a messy bun. Her makeup was perfect; mine was non-existent. I had never felt so outclassed.

Yet that thought only occurred to me for a moment. I didn't care what she looked like, in the end. I only cared at all because she had what I wanted most. Shane. And it wasn't as though I merely wanted him because of a petty attraction. I had seen a different side of Shane than her. I'd seen him be kind, sweet and thoughtful. I wanted to have him hold me; trust me. I wanted him to love me. But most of all, I wanted him to remember me. If friendship was all I could have, I would take it without a word. Yet I couldn't have even that if he couldn't stand to be in the same room as me.

Mimi held out her hand to me, and I took it. Her handshake was delicate, much like I imagined her temper to be.

"Mitchie, right?" She asked. Her voice sounded sincere this time.

I nodded, deciding to play it dumb. "And you're..."

"Mimi." She said softly.

Up close, I could see that her perfectly made up eyes were sad. "Mrs. Grey told me all about you." She whispered.

Oh. Um, wow. She knew how close I'd been to Shane, then? I guessed she hadn't let him know.

I smiled tentatively at her. She smiled back.

Well, that sucked. I couldn't even hate the girl Shane had chosen to remember instead of me.

**

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A/N: There's a poll on my page concerning this fic. Please check it out? And please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter and voted on the poll!**

* * *

Mimi seemed sincere and ... _sympathetic._ I knew that any other girl wouldn't.

"Thanks." I mouthed.

She winked at me discreetly, and whirled around to face Shane. "Shane, you remember Mitchie, right?"

There was a long, awkward pause in which Sophie coughed. I blushed under Shane's unwavering stare and fidgeted nervously.

I watched his face apprehensively. As his eyes scanned over my face, I could have sworn a look of recognition crossed his face. But then it was gone, and for all I knew I might have imagined it.

"No," He said slowly, "No, I don't think I do."

My heart fell.

Mimi sighed. "If you say so."

"I do." Shane snapped, suddenly angry.

She made a big show of rolling her eyes. "Get over yourself, Shane."

Shane huffed. "Which one of us won a Grammy this year, hmmm?"

Sophie grimaced, but Mimi laughed. "I think you mean _last _year." She quipped.

Sure, Shane was being a jerk, but wasn't that his normal when she was going out with him? She was being way too lighthearted over his amnesia that I liked. If Sophie's expression was anything to go by, she felt the same way.

Shane didn't respond to Mimi's jab. Instead, he fell silent.

"Mimi, I'm going to the cafeteria to grab some coffee. Would you mind keeping me company?" Sophie asked sweetly, but I wasn't fooled. I could hear the undercurrent in her tone. She wanted to talk to Mimi about her attitude, no doubt.

Mimi complied, and the two left the room.

Wow. Awkward. Had they left us alone on purpose?

Shane turned towards me. "Mitchie, why don't you come over here? I can barely see you when you stand all the way across the room."

I cleared my throat and nodded, taking a seat in the chair by his bedside.

Shane sighed as he watched me. "Nothing."

I nodded again. I had amazing conversational skills, didn't I?

"What are you, mute?" He demanded.

I paled.

His mood swings baffled me. How could I have fallen in love with someone so mean hearted and hateful? Despite it all, it was a relief to think the word _love_. At least I could admit it to myself now. I, Mitchie Torres, had fallen in love with none other than Shane Grey. And I deeply regretted it.

* * *

I threw myself down onto Caitlyn's couch, and she snickered at my theatrics.

"So, what do you want to watch first? John Tucker Must Die or The Notebook?" She asked.

Caitlyn had convinced me to come over for a girl's night, which she said was "much needed". I'd reluctantly agreed, seeing as it wasn't as if I'd had other plans.

"John Tucker Must Die." I replied instantly. A sappy romance was the _last _thing I needed to watch at the moment.

She nodded her agreement and put it in the DVD player. I grabbed the bowl of popcorn as she turned down the lights, and settled in.

That movie, and the next (the first X-Men; my choice) passed in a blur. I wasn't in the mood for gossip and junk food. I wanted to curl up in my bed and cry, as over dramatic as that sounded. I wanted my dog, Kylie, and my teddy bear.

Caitlyn put on Stick It, and began babbling about her own attempt at gymnastics. I tuned her out, and my eyes glazed over. Suddenly her couch felt very comfortable, and I felt myself drifting away.

* * *

I was dreaming. I stood one the dock at Camp Rock, my feet dangling over the edge as they had that fateful night. I heard footsteps on the wooden planks beind me, and braced myself. I wasn't ready to relive this.

"Mitchie." He said softly.

I stood up and spun around, my eyes wide. This wasn't the way it had happened.

Shane stood before me, but he wasn't wearing the jeans and T-shirt he'd had on then. He was wearing his ... hospital robe? I blinked. So this was what happened when I went to bed after eating ice cream.

"Shane?" I asked nervously.

He smiled slightly. "I need you to listen to me, Mitchie."

I nodded, and made a mental note to get a different reflex.

"Mitchie, I know it seems like I'm gone now, but you need to remember that it's only my conscious mind that's gone."

Wait, what?

I awoke with a start. Huh...?

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn exclaimed. "Whats wrong?"

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**A/N: Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! You guys are all awesome.**

* * *

I looked at her blearily. "Nothing..." I said. "I was just dreaming..."

Caitlyn looked over at me skeptically. "About what...?"

I collapsed back onto the sofa and buried my face in the pillow. "Shane." I mumbled into it.

She sighed theatrically. "That's not healthy." She reprimanded.

I grinned up at her sheepishly. "I can't control my dreams. So shoot me."

Caitlyn snickered. "How about we go back to sleep instead?"

I glanced at the clock. 4:27 a.m. "Gladly."

* * *

"You need to get out. Do something fun." Caitlyn announced over breakfast.

I stuffed yet another piece of syrup-soaked pancake into my mouth by way of reply.

"Amusement parks's not far from here; we should be able to walk." She continued.

I nodded as I helped myself to another pancake.

"Plus, they've got this great restaurant, but I can't remember what it's called. And of course, there's a Starbucks."

"Yes, you girls should go." Caitlyn's mother, Anita, piped in. She stood over the sink, cleaning dishes. "Mitchie, you'd best call your mother and make sure it's alright with her."

"Will do." I smiled at her.

"So you're in?" Caitlyn clarified.

I sucked on my fork in thought and nodded. "Sure. Why not?"

* * *

"_I can't believe I agreed to this!" _I shrieked. Caitlyn grinned over at me while I looked fearfully at the ground, which lay a frightening two hundred feet away.

"Oh, c'mon!" She laughed. "You don't the Drop Zone?"

"I don't like heights_, period!" _I exclaimed. "Much less _dropping!"_

As if in response, the ride decided that it had kept us in the air far too long, and we fell. I screamed along with everyone else on board as we plumetted towards the ground. As the last possible second, the platform halted. A girl came around to undo the contraption keeping me in, and I got out quickly. My legs felt weak, and I stumbled towards the exit as Caitlyn caught up with me. She was giggling.

"Wasn't that awesome?" She asked excitedly.

I just groaned.

Caitlyn laughed at my expression. "You're quite green, you know." She told me.

"I figured." I muttered. I knew that my nausea would disappear if I focused on an immobile object for long enough. I plunked myself down on a nearby bench and scanned the surrounding area. In my peripheral vision I spotted something very, very familiar. I nearly gave myself whiplash as I turned my head to look at what, or who, it was.

"Tess!" I hissed.

Caitlyn turned to look at me with wide eyes. "You'd better be joking."

"Not even. You know I can't act." I replied.

"Where is she?" She demanded.

I averted my eyes in case Tess looked in our direction. "Next to the bumper cars. At the cotton candy stand."

I heard Caitlyn suck in her breath.

"Should we just ... pretend not to see her?" I suggested weakly.

"I'll tell you what we should do." Caitlyn said between gritted teeth. I grabbed her arm just as she began to rise.

"Caitlyn. No."

She glared at the tiny figure. "Yes."

"You know you'll regret it." I told her.

"I don't care!" She exclaimed, rather loudly.

The bleached blond head turned to look at us slowly, and I winced. "Caitlyn! Now look at what you've done!"

Caitlyn suddenly looked as though she wished she would disappear. "Whoops."

"Mitchie! Caitlyn!" Tess exclaimed with a fake sweetness as she walked towards us.

"Hi, Tess." I said, completely devoid of any emotion. Caitlyn swore not so lightly under he breath by way of greeting. I elbowed her side.

"Hello." She hissed.

Tess pretended not to notice Caitlyn's emotions. "So how have you two been?!" She squealed. The pitch of her voice was uncomfortably loud, and I fought the urge to plug my ears.

"Fine." I replied, though in reality I had been far from it. Caitlyn gave the same answer, although in a much different tone.

"And yourself?" I asked.

"Great, thanks!" She gushed. "It's _so _great to see you guys. Especially after everything that's been happening recently, of course."

"You mean...?" I started.

"With Shane?" Tess finished. "Of course. It's _all_ over the news. And I'm so glad he's back with Mimi. They were together for _two years _before they broke up."

"Oh?" I said. I picked up a strand of my hair and pretended to be searching for split ends. All I could think of was, _two years?!_

"Yes." Tess replied. I noticed that her voice had changed, and I looked up at her questioningly.

Her eyes had narrowed, and her voice was scathing. "She's a much better match for him than _you _ever were, darling."

Apparently Shane wasn't the only one who was bipolar.

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**A/N: Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I am so sorry that this wasn't up sooner! My computer crashed, so I'm on a friend's right now. I should still be able to update, but maybe not as often as I'd like. Also, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Though I'm afraid I didn't get a chance to reply to most of them.**

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I grinned at Caitlyn and raised my hand in farewell and she waved at me wildly from her mother's car. As they sped down my street, I dug my key out of my purse and opened the front door.

"I'm home!" I called as I slammed the door closed behind me.

I heard a chair being pushed back, and Dad emerged from his office.

"Hi sweetie," he said, smiling at me.

"Hey," I replied, setting my purse down by the door.

"Mitchie, honey, why don't you come into the kitchen for a moment? Your mother just made a batch of brownies, and we'd like to talk to you for a moment."

I looked at Dad suspiciously. What exactly did they want to talk to me about? Mom only made her brownies when an issue had come up. Dad led the way into the kitchen, and I followed tentatively. My head was still whirling from our run-in with Tess. After making her opinion on the issue at hand obvious, she had flounced off to meet her boyfriend or whoever. Needless to say, our opinions of her hadn't particularly changed.

I sat down at the kitchen table, clasped my hands in my lap. "What's up?" I asked.

Mom emerged from the pantry holding a bag of icing sugar. She smiled warmly at me, but said nothing in response to my question. Mom continued bustling about the kitchen, sprinkling icing sugar on the brownies and placing them all on a platter. She set them down on the table, and gestured that we should help ourselves. Dad dug in, but I remained still. Caitlyn and I had downed enough food to feed an army, and I wasn't going to be hungry any time soon.

I didn't say anything; instead, I waited for either of my parents to begin speaking. I didn't have to wait long.

"Mitchie, your uncle called while you were out," she began.

I looked at her questioningly. What did this have to do with me? I only had one uncle; Sam. Uncle Sam lived in New Jersey, where he worked as a journalist. He had never married, and lived with my grandmother so as to better take care of her.

"You see, honey, Sam's spending the next few weeks onboard an oil rig, so he can write a piece on the lives of the workmen."

Sam's newspaper wasn't exactly what I would call normal. He was often sent on trips to write articles on topics no other newspapers covered. It was privately funded, so he never had to pay for this own trip expenses. The income was large enough for him to support both himself and Nana.

"Their neighbour, who usually takes care of your grandmother while Sam's away, is on an archaeological dig in Germany," Mom continued.

"Sam's looking for someone to look after her for the remainder of the summer. We thought you would be perfect," Dad went on.

I blinked at him.

"Sweetie, we think it would be best if you went away for awhile. It would be healthy to escape from all of this for a bit."

'All of this' meaning Shane.

"There's no one else to take care of her, Mitchie," Mom prodded.

I don't know what possessed me to do so, but I nodded. I hadn't seen Nana in ages, and what was the point in staying her if all there was was sadness? I usually wasn't so agreeable, but ... well, I knew that I needed a break. I would miss Caitlyn, of course. And Shane; although it wasn't as though I would miss his presence. I would miss the old Shane, not the one staying in the hospital.

"Good," Dad smiled. "Because I've already booked your flight."

I gaped at him, "Did I ever actually have a say in this?"

"Not really," he said teasingly.

I rolled my eyes at him playfully. "I'll go pack."

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**A/N: So what do you think of the new development? **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I actually managed to reply to all of them this time :P  
I'm going on vacation soon, so I won't be able to update next week. So instead, I'll update twice this week: tonight and either Thursday or Friday. I apologize if that upsets anyone.**

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I collapsed into my seat after stowing my bag in the overheard compartment. I had the window seat, which was lucky in one way and unlucky in another. I loved watching the ground fall away beneath the plane as it took off, but at the same time, I was stuck sitting beside some person I didn't now. Not to mention that if I had to use the washroom, I'd have to push past them awkwardly just to get out. The situation was, for lack of a better word, bittersweet.

I pulled my iPod out of my pocket and put in the ear buds, ignoring the venomous glare of the nearby stewardess. That rule about waiting until the flight was underway to use "small electronics" sounded pointless to me.

I had just put on 'Bounce' by The Cab, which I adored, when a tall form took the seat beside me. I turned to look at the stranger curiously. He looked to be about my age or maybe a year older, with long brown hair that flopped over his eyes, which were hazel. His face was a bit nondescript in today's society, but there was a distinct cuteness about it. His eyes caught mine, and I smiled at him.

"Hey," he said monotonously.

Well, that was midly disappointing. I guess that the journey would be endured in silence.

"I'm Mitchie," I replied, not wanting to be rude.

"Gerrad."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

And it definitely wouldn't be a comfortable silence.

Or so I'd thought. It turned out that while it would be uncomfortable, it would be anything but silent.

"Hey, you're that girl who was on the news!" Gerrad exclaimed.

"Umm..." I'm a brilliant conversationalist, I know.

"Right?" He asked, sounding uncertain.

"Um, yeah, I think so?" Truth be told, I've been avoiding the TV and internet for a while for fear of news of Shane. I didn't want to see pictures of him, or watch an interview. I didn't remember seeing the paparrazi, but there was a chance that they'd spotted me at the amusement park.

"You don't know?"

"I've been a bit busy lately..." I stammered.

"Busy testing out roller coasters?" He teased.

I giggled. "Exactly!"

* * *

To my immense surprise, the flight passed quickly. So quickly that I almost wished that it had lasted longer. Almost.

Gerrad and I had spoken for nearly the entire flight. After getting off the subject of my two minutes of fame, we went on to talk about why we were going to New Jersey. I had discovered that he was meeting up with his band to record their new single. They were, apparently, rather well-known in their hometown. When the plane had touched down, we'd exchanged numbers, and he'd promised to call me once he had a break so we could meet up for coffee.

My tension about staying in New Jersey while knowing only one person had been slightly eased now that I knew Gerrad. We weren't best friends or anything, but it was good to know that I'd be able to text a friend without paying long-distance charges.

After we'd gotten off the plane, Gerrad and I managed to find our way to the luggage carousel. The workmen seemed to be taking a long time unloading our luggage, so after finding a luggage cart, there was nothing to do but stand around.

"Hey, Mitchie," Gerrad started, "You know Jason, right?"

"Jason, as in, Connect 3 Jason?" I clarified.

"Yeah," he grinned, "How's he been doing? We hadn't chilled in _ages."_

"You know Jason?"

"Yeah. We went to the same junior high, but he moved the summer after."

And so went the conversation for about half an hour, at which time the luggage appeared. After grabbing our bags, Gerrad and I said a harried goodbye, and I rushed to find a taxi. I stepped out into the sea air, and took a deep breath in. New Jersey, here I come!

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**A/N: So what do you think of Gerrad? Are you afraid Mitchie will fall for him?**


	12. Chapter 12

As soon as I arrived at Nana's, she hurried me into the house and enveloped me in a warm hug. I hugged her back, and breathed in the scent of cinnamon and vanilla. She'd obviously be baking.

"Oh Mitchie, my dear," she cooed, holding me out at arm's length so she could look me over. She nodded in what I assumed was approval and shooed me into the kitchen.

"How have you been Nana?" I asked, sitting down on one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

"I've been great, honey. Thanks for asking," she beamed at me. "Now, I just baked an apple pie. You do like apple pie, don't you?"

I assured her of my love for apple pie, and grinned as she bustled around the kitchen. And so it went. The heavens opened soon after, and we spent the afternoon around her fire, munching on pie and catching up. The house was very quaint and cozy, and I found myself fast asleep before long.

* * *

"It's been quite long since you've visited the coast, hasn't it?" Nana commented over breakfast. She'd made crepes - my favourite - in honour of my visit.

I nodded, "Yes, it has. The last time we visited I was around 3, I think."

I felt guilty for not having visited in so long. It's not like I'd had a choice in the matter, and Nana usually came to see us about six times a year, but the feeling was still there.

"You, my dear, need to see the ocean," Nana said.

I smiled at her, encouraging her to go on.

"I have a friend with a boat," she continued, "He runs a whale watching tour. There's one later this morning, I think. Why don't you go? I've gone quite a few times before, and it's very well done. They almost always have sightings. I'm sure if you tell him - Ron - that you're my granddaughter, he'll let you on without a ticket."

I raised my eyebrows. That sounded . . . amazing. "Wow," I said, "That would be incredible."

Nana grinned. "It _will _be incredible. Just you wait and see."

I didn't doubt her

"Now, it often gets quite cold out on the water, so you'll need a waterproof jacket, rubber shoes so you don't slip, gloves, and binoculars of course..."

Nana busied herself collecting everything she predicted I would need. I offered to help, but she protested, saying that I had better go and wash up before I left. My hair was a bit greasy from the flight the night before, and I felt sweaty. She didn't need to tell me twice.

* * *

I approached _The Eagle _apprehensively. The ship was small, but luxurious nonetheless. Nana had called earlier to inform Ron that I would be coming along foe the 11:00 a.m cruise. Ron has assured her that he wouldn't charge me. I was clad in the clothes that Nana had suggested; rain jacket, rubber shoes, leather gloves, and a pair of binoculars hung around my neck. My camera was stashed away in one of the huge jacket pockets so that it wouldn't get too wet. Waterproof cases only went so far.

I stepped down onto the dock and approached the boarding ladder. A man with bright red hair who I assumed to be Ron was checking passengers for tickets. There was a line of about twelve people in front of me; mostly parents with young children. I was slightly nervous about boarding. What did I say? That I was Mitchie? It seemed almost too easy. The line in front of me moved with astonishing speed, and I was in front of Ron in no time at all.

"Mitchie!" He exclaimed, and hugged me with such force I was winded. When he finally let me go, I knew I was red in the face. I must have had a puzzled expression on, for he said, "Oh, your grandmother has been sending me pictures of you for years now. I was so happy that I would finally get to meet you."

I smiled up at him. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Now, Mitchie, go on up to the middle deck. Most people say the top deck is the best, but the middle is so much closer to the water. When the dolphins start bow riding, you'll be one of the first to see them!"

I nodded. Bow riding, bow riding . . . I'd heard that somewhere before. Wasn't that when the dolphins played in the froth at the bow of the ship? I didn't dare ask Ron what is was; I'd rather find out for myself. That question was a bit embarassing, actually. I wonder how many other passengers didn't know what it was.

After bidding Ron goodbye, I followed his instructions and climbed the stairs to Deck B - the middle deck. Deck A was below me and in the underbelly of the ship, where passengers could watch the animals through the thick windows. Deck C, above me, allowed passengers a bird's eye view of the water.

_The Eagle_set sail not long after I boarded, and I positioned myself at the bow of the ship to better see everything. I closed my eyes and focused on the feel of the ship moving underneath me. The rocking calmed me, and the salt spray in my face was a welcome reminder of the other times I'd been here, no matter how long ago they were. I loved living with Mom and Dad inland, but the coast would always be my home.

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**A/N: It's a bit longer than the last one. I hope you like it. Please review?**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Alas, I am back. Actually, I was back quite a while ago...but then my internet decided to go kablooie. Again. It's working right now, so I thought I'd get this up while I had the chance. Sorry for the wait! **

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The sea air whipped my hair around my dace. With the ship moving beneath me, almost seeming to glide across the waves, I felt like I was flying.

"Mitchie?"

A strangley familiar face jolted me from my reverie, and I jumped in classic Mitchie fashion. I whirled around on the spot, and had the grasp the rail to keep from falling. Gerrad's smiling face swam before my eyes.

"Gerrad!" I exclaimed.

He chuckled. "Long time no see, eh?"

I stuttered as I struggled to regain my composure, "I thought you were umm...recording a...a single."

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Yeah, but since I _am _staying with my uncle, I figured I could at least help him out before I started working."

I frowned, confused.

"My uncle is Ron."

"_Oh." _

Gerrad smiled at my naivete. "I'm the 'onboard specialist', or whatever he's calling it these days. I'm pretty much the guy who talks about the whales we see."

"So are you a specialist?" I teased.

"Both my parents are cetacean biologist, so I grew up learning about them. Plus, I've done a ridiculous amount of research on my own," Gerrad replied. I could tell that he wasn't trying to brag. This was his life - I could see it in his eyes.

"As much as I love dolphins, I don't know much about them," I admitted ruefully.

Gerrad beamed, "Well, now's your chance to learn. As soon as they spot something, I'm up."

His mood was catching, and I found myself smiling back at him.

Gerrad came to stand next to me at the bow of the ship, and we stood in a companionable silence as we gazed out to see. We shared a love of the ocean and the creatures in it. Who knew that two strangers would have so much in common?

* * *

A voice came over the intercom not twenty minutes later.

"We've got a pod of bottlenose dolphins at about 3 o'clock, folks. A bunch of females and their calves, from the looks of 'em," it crackled.

Gerrad winked at me and turned on a small earpiece. "Good afternoon, ladies and gents. I'm Gerrad, and I'll be your narrator for the duration of this trip. If you look to your right, you'll see a small pod of bottlenose dolphins. We can tell by their size and the size of their group that this is a group of mothers and their calves. Females often stay in the same pod they were born into for their whole lives. Male dolphins, however, leave the pod at a young age and often live by themselves or in small groups of two or three."

He paused for a moment to let this information sink in before continuing.

"These calves are actually juveniles now, though they're often still smaller than their mothers. Now, if we're lucky, they may start to bowride. The front of the ship creates a wave, and dolphins like to play in it. Some marine biologists see it as their version of surfing. Dolphins are often seen bowriding, and have even been spotted playing in the wake of a large whale."

Sure enough, the dolphins began to bowride. I stayed by my spot at the rail as other people began to crowd around me. The dolphins jumped in the surf, often landing on their sides or backs. You could just see how much fun they were having. A silence descended on the craft as everyone gazed at the dolphins in awe. They truly were the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen.

Too soon, the dolphins grew tired and swam off into the distance. As the group huddled at the bow began to disperse, Gerrad picked up where he had left off.

"Dolphins are naturally sociable creatures..."

* * *

About two hours later, I stumbled off the boat and onto the dock. My naturally kluziness had only been amplified by the waves, and didn't let up when we got back to shore. I was dizzier than usual.

After the pod have swum off, we only have to wait for about half an hour. A group of young, boisterous males had shown up and stuck around for about an hour. They had been showing off for the cameras, flipping and spinning in the air. I had adored them.

After thanking Ron for the great trip, I started to head back to Nana's and hadn't gotten far before I'd heard feet pounding behind me. I whirled around to find Gerrad, once again.

"You really need to stop doing that," I teased, "You're making me dizzy."

He grinned, and it was then that I noticed how he looked even cuter when he smiled. "Hey, Mitchie..."

"Mmm?"

"We're going to be recording that single starting on Monday, at the Silver Records studio downtown. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come? It would be nice to have you there, and we really do need an outside opinion, and - "

"I'd love to," I replied, cutting him off.

"Oh..." Gerrad's smile grew even bigger, "That's great! We'll be there from 9 a.m on, so whenever you're free..."

"I'll be there," I assured him.

"See you then!"

Even though Gerrad had left my line of sight, I could still see him in front of me. He really was nice, and handsome... not to mention smart and obviously talented. But, wait! What about Shane?

_Shane wouldn't care_. _He can't even remember you, you moron._

I sighed at the realization. Why _would _he care? I walked on, my brain whirling.

It seemed like Nana's door was in front of me before any time had passed. I unlocked the door with the spare key she'd given me. "Nana, I'm back!" I called.

"We're in the living room, dear," She replied.

_We?_ I walked into the living room, and my breath caught in my throat.

"You have a visitor," Nana smiled.

"I'm so sorry, Mitchie," Shane cried, his face crumpling. "I'm so sorry."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I am so sorry about the wait! My computer crashed a while ago, and I had to send it away to get fixed. I lost everything. This is the first time I've been able to get on.**

* * *

I couldn't believe it was him. I saw him, heard him, and felt his arms as they wrapped around me in a tight embrace. But I didn't believe it. When Shane had finally let me go, I phrased the question running through my mind.

"How is this possible?" Except I was pretty sure only I could hear it. I definitely didn't sound like myself. My voice was hoarse and thin.

But he heard me.

"I don't know," he whispered, tears filling his eyes as they searched my face. He grasped my shoulders firmly, looking as though he never wanted to let me go.

I didn't know what to think. It was hard to comprehend that Shane was back. _My _Shane, the one that had kissed me with a passion I didn't know was possible, instead of the Shane I'd just met, the one who treated everyone like they were beneath him. I looked into his eyes, searching for something.... What it was, I didn't know. I just wanted a hint that the other Shane was no longer there.

I didn't have to look far. Shane's eyes shone with hope, fear, and at the same time... love? Or only lust? How was one to tell? As ridiculous as it sounded, I had grown suspicious of him. I was almost _waiting _for him to snear at me.

"I'm going to go put the kettle on," Nana said as she left for the kitchen, leaving us very much alone.

I swallowed, and tried to concentrate on breathing evenly. But nothing, it seemed, got past Shane.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you nervous," he said sincerely, "Or maybe you're mad? Which I could also understand..."

"No, no, I'm not mad!" I gushed, "I'm just..." I let out a sigh. "I don't even know."

Shane just nodded, as though this all made sense. "I am so sorry that I didn't recognize you, Mitchie. I can't believe that I did. And of all the people from my past, I remembered _Mimi_. I can only imagine how that made you feel."

He gave me a moment to take all that in before continuing, "You have to understand that I care about you more than anything, Mitchie."

_I love you! I love you! I love you! _I thought. But I just couldn't bring myself to say it. Could I risk having my heart broken over those words?

Nana walked back in. "I just realized I'm almost out of milk. I'm just going to pop over to the supermarket to grab some. Do help yourselves to tea."

I tore myself away from Shane's penetrating gaze to smile warmly at my grandmother. "Will do. See you soon."

The sound of a closing door punctuated the silence as I turned back to him.

"Why don't you sit down?" I offered breathlessly, realizing that we were both still standing, "And I'll go grab us some tea."

"Mitchie," Shane said, stopping me. "I know this has surprised you, but I can tell that something else is wrong."

I hesitated. He really have a right to know about Gerrad...but wouldn't he be upset? I couldn't upset him now, after all he'd been through.

"Just spit it out," he grinned, seeing me struggle. He no doubt thought my worries were about him.

What was I supposed to say? 'I met someone else'? Yeah, I'm sure that would go over just great...

"Mitchie?" Shane said it teasingly, but I would tell that he was worried. "What did you do, get a boyfriend?"

He meant it as a joke. And after all, I hadn't gotten a boyfriend. But I still paled at his words.

Shane's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "_Oh_."

I should have hastened to tell him the truth. That I didn't have a boyfriend, and that I was longing to tell him how much I loved him. But I couldn't do either of these things. I froze, and my heart began pounding even faster than before.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it, despite the lateness and shortness of it. I was also wondering: Do any of you guys read or write for the Covenant fandom?**


	15. Chapter 15

Shane's eyes continuued to painstakingly search my face. For what, I don't know. I looked up from the ground and his eyes locked onto mine.

"I deserved that," he said shortly, "I shouldn't be surprised."

_But he didn't deserve it!_

"Shane, the amnesia wasn't your fault!" I exclaimed.

He didn't respond, but his gaze drifted from mine.

I stepped closer, resting my hand on his shoulder. "I don't blame you," I said softly.

Shane took a deep breath. "But I do."

A heavy silence descended upon us. I wanted to tell him, but the words wouldn't come. It was Shane's next words that pushed me over the edge.

"Tell me about him."

I began breathing quickly, sucking air as though I couldn't get enough of it. My heart began pounding and my head felt light.

Shane wrapped his arm around me in a half hug, leaning down to whisper in my ear, "It's okay, Mitchie. I want to know."

His touch sent a shiver down my spine, and I felt myself tremble. I didn't want him to take his arm back, and closed my eyes for a brief moment to make that wish. As my eyeldis fluttered shut, I wondered what it would be like to have Shane kiss me again. When my eyes opened, I had already resolved what to do.

"Shane, I don't hav-" I was cut off by my ringtone. I jumped, and rushed to pull my cell out of my pocket. 'GERRAD,' it flashed.

Shane took in the name and nodded, pulling away.

I could feel tears pricking at the back of my eyes, but I blinked them back.

"Hey Gerrad. What's up?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Mitchie, are you alright?" he asked, sounding worried.

"Mmhmm."

"Um. Okay. Anyways, my uncle mentioned that you have an amazing voice; your grandma told him or somthing. So I was wondering if maybe you'd like to record a song with us...?"

I blinked. _Record a song? With a well-known band?_

"I'd love to!" I gushed, my worries momentarily forgotten.

"Great!" I could hear the smile in his voice. "We've already got a song written, so if you'd like to meet us at the studio at nine on Monday..."

"Sounds good," I replied, "I'll see you then!"

I flipped my phone shut and turned back to Shane. His eyes were so torn, I swore I'd never forget them.

"Have fun on your date," he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"What? Shane, no, he didn't ask me out!"

He frowned. "But..."

"Shane, I don't have a boyfriend," I said bluntly. I felt relieved as soon as the words were out. He had no idea how desperately I'd needed him to know that.

"But I thought you said..."

"I didn't say anything, which made you _think _I have one. Gerrad just called to ask me to record a song with him and his band."

"Gerrad? As in Jason's friend Gerrad?"

I nodded, wondering where he was taking this.

"Trust me, Mitchie, he's bad news. You don't want to know what I've heard about him."

"You obviously heard wrong," I scoffed. But the look of concern on Shane's face kept me from arguing further. I softened immediately.

'But it doesn't matter whether he's 'bad news' or not," I continued, only going on instinct now.

"Sorry?"

"Because I'm not interested."

Shane's eyes widened, but I only saw them for a moment before I pressed my lips firmly against his.

I felt Shane tense momentarily before kissing me back.

His lips, moving against mine, made me tremble. He ran his hand through my hair, and I felt my knees grow week. A warm feeling trickled into my belly.

Desire.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself against him. His tongue pressed up against my lips, and I parted them, completely wrapped up in the feeling of him. He traced circles on my waist with his thumb and I melted into him.

I broke away for air, and also to control my raging emotions. Shane smiled at me, and leaned in again to press his lips sweetly against mine.

I was home.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Review please :) And there's a new poll on my page!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while; I've been ridiculously busy with school work, sports and whatnot. I'm finally closing the poll that was on my page. 16 of you votes - wow! - and most of you would prefer a shorter chapter once a week. So that's what I'll be doing!**

* * *

Nana had returned home only minutes after Shane and I had, um, gotten back together. We had both look flustered and my hair was mussed, and we recieved suspicious looks as she retreated back into the kitchen, carrying a shopping bag. She had since gone up to her room with a new book and a glass of water, claiming that "all of our energy" had tired her out.

"So," Shane smiled, pulling me onto his lap, "What are you doing for the rest of the summer?"

"Probably staying here," I replied, "Why do you ask?"

"What would you do if I said I've found a place to stay?"

"What?" I asked, excitement creeping noticeably into my voice.

"Well," Shane said, slinging his arm over my shoulders, "A friend of a friend owns a motel a few miles away, and she's going to let me stay there for half the price."

I wanted to inform Shane exactly _why _she wanted him to stay there, but I refrained. He probably already knew.

"If that girl tries anything with you..." I started threateningly.

"Mitchie, sweetie, she's forty."

"Oh." I deflated.

Shane laughed unabashedly at my expression. "Trying to protect me now, are you?"

"Well, can you blame me?!" I demanded, indignant. "Half the female population is in love with you!"

"And the other half are clearly insane," Shane smirked, daring me to contradict him.

He knew I couldn't.

"Yeah, well, whatever," I grumbled, arms crossed.

The smirk grew even bigger, but vanished when my phone beeped.

"Not again..." I grimaced, pulling it out of my pocket. Shane had snatched it before I could even flip it open.

" 'My dearest Mitchie' ", he read aloud mockingly, his tone sickeningly sweet, " 'I just wanted to confirm our _date _in a few days, as I haven't heard from you yet.' " Shane wrinkled his nose in disgust and passed it back to me gingerly, as though the phone sickened him.

"Notice that he called it a _date_," Shane sneered.

I had been receiving texts from Gerrad every half hour or so since I'd arrived home. You'd think he knew Shane was here or something. How very wrong I had been in assuming that he was innocent.

* * *

The next morning I swear I woke up with a smile on my face. Shane had gone to his motel soon after I'd managed to calm him down, though not after a few - rather long - kisses. My thoughts lingering on Shane's not-so-quick departure what seems like only moments before, I scrounged up an outfit and headed to the washroom. I took a long look at myself in the mirror. My face was still flushed from last night, and my lips were red and swollen. I grinned, and jumped in the shower only moments later.

I lingered in the hot shower more than I usually would have, reliving last night. The steam filled the small room quickly and I was thankful for the immense heat. Nana had told me the day before that she'd be out early that morning to visit a market a few hours away. I therefore had no reason _not _to sing at the top of my lungs and I washed my hair.

Twenty minutes later, wrapped in a plush dressing down and brushing my wet hair, I thundered my way downstairs and skipped into the living room. My good mood could not have been more apparent if I'd tried. I plopped down on the sofa and turned on the TV, wanting to see what the weather would be like. Shane and I had a date.

In fact, is was Shane's face that greeted me when the old television finally flickered to life. I jumped and a small yelp escaped my throat.

'Connect 3 band member Shane Grey has been spotted leaving ex girlfriend Mitchie Torres' grandmother's house late last night. Torres has been staying with her grandmother for the past couple of days, and appears to have been visited by her old flame. Grey lost all memory of Torres after his recently injury, but friends of the family suggest that his memory has been regained.' A picture of Shane living Nana's house last night filled the screen.

"Ah, dang it."

* * *

**A/N: There's a new poll on my page concerning the fandoms I write for; please vote on it? And as always, please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: So yeah, I'm awful at updating regularly... In my defence, I've been working on something new! Also, I'm sorry this is so short, but I'm going to be updating again this week, if that helps... Also, I'm going to be putting out a new fic soon for Sonny With A Chance. Hopefully it'll be out sometime today. And I'm sorry if this is wrong in any way; as in, if what happens isn't scientifically possible. This is, however, one of the ways a storm can change course. Because of cold water.**

* * *

I was in the middle of insulting the entertainment industry when the TV reporter was cut off and the screen flashed red. The sudden change had barely registered in my mind when the front door slammed open. I jumped and spun around to find Nana struggling to close the door behind her.

"Looks like we've got some nasty weather moving in," Nana panted, leaning back against the door she had finally managed to close.

I peeked out the blinds behind the couch. Nasty didn't really seem to justify it. Wind whipped through the street, slamming against the trees so forcefully they bent over. The sky was a sickening purple shade, and I was looked over the houses opposite, I could see a wall of water coming closer. The rain was a few blocks away and coming closer. After a few moments, I heard the tell-tale rat-a-tat-tat as rain hit the roof.

"You'd better turn that up, dear," Nana said as she took in the broadcast, "I have a feeling we'll be wanting to hear this."

I did as she asked and settled back down on the couch. Nana's eyes widened as she read the bolded text. A detached voice read along with us.

"Category four Hurrican Tiffany is expected to make landfall along the Eastern Seaboard at approximately 9:17 p.m E.S.T."

The broadcast changed to a nervous-looking reporter. She licked her lips twice before speaking.

"Our station has just been alerted that Hurricane Tiffany, previously thought to be headed for the African coast, has changed course. Unseasonally warm waters in the South Atlantic has forced it to turn back, and it is now on a collision course with the East Coast. Due to the large expanse of warm water in the North Atlantic, it has grown into a category four storm. I repeat, it is now a category four storm."

I felt as though I couldn't breathe. Something as putting pressure on my lungs. The damage a category four hurricane could cause... Unwillingly, I dragged my eyes back to the TV screen.

"All residents in the following areas are being ordered to evacuated _immediately_..." The woman rambled on, listing almost all of the cities on the East Coast. I couldn't believe it. Drawing in a deep breath, I turned to look at Nana. Instead of looking as terrified as I felt, her expression was on of resolve. She closed her eyes briefly and murmured something I couldn't catch. I felt like I was intruding on a private moment and looked away.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, making me jump. I flipped it open with trembling hands.

"Shane!" I gasped, relief flooding through me at the sound of his voice.

"Mitchie," he breathed, "Where are you going to go?"

I blinked. I hadn't thought about that. I supposed I could just head home, but the weather was far too unstable for that. I didn't have my liscence, and there was no way Nana could drive through this.

"I don't know," I said honestly. My eyes flickered once again to my grandmother, as though she might have been listening in and knew what to do. She was sitting on the couch, still watching the news reporter.

"Listen, Mitchie. A helicopter is on its way right now to lift me out of here. You and your grandmother could come with me."

"Is that safe?" I asked, my voice breaking on the last word.

"Of course," he replied confidently. I would later reflect that he had too much faith in pilots.

"Okay," I replied, "When is it touching down?"

"About an hour from now."

Much to my surprise, it wouldn't be arriving at the airport. I wrote down the address he gave me and promised to be there. He told me to pack lightly; only one bag per person. We could only bring necessities. Before we hung up, I came to close to telling him the three words that had been running through my mind since the moment I met him. From the heavy silence on the other end, I could tell that his thoughts were in the same place.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Stay safe," he replied. And then he was gone.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I haven't been able to stop writing recently. Thank you all so much for the encouragement! **

* * *

Nana accepted my good news with a nod and a weak smile, and headed upstairs to gather her 'keepsakes'. I could not imagine the turmoil she must have been feeling. This house was her everything. She had grown up here, and each room held memories. Nana had to decided which photographs, heirlooms and trinkets to take ... and which to leave. They were the only things she had left of her childhood. If I was burdened with her decision, I don't know what I would have done. It was almost a certainty that everything Nana left behind would be destroyed. This house had withstood many hurricanes before, but never anything of this magnitude.

Pushing away those thoughts, I pulled out my phone and called home. I didn't know if my parents had heard the news, but if they had, I knew they'd be worried sick.

"Mitchie!" Mom exclaimed, "I've been trying to reach you!"

I instantly felt guilty. "Sorry."

"What's happening, Mitchie?" Mom demanded. I was half expecting her to ask why I was on my phone before. It scared me when she didn't. "How are you getting out of there?"

I told her about Shane. Mom seemed reluctant about it, but agreed that there was no way either Nana or I could drive out of here.

"You take care of yourself."

I nodded. "Mmhmm. Give Dad my love."

"I will," she promised, "I love you, sweetie."

"I love you too."

* * *

As I was filling my backpack (I took all of Nana's keepsakes I could), my phone - yup, you guessed it - vibrated. It was a text from Shane.

"Don't worry about finding a way to get here. I've sent a driver to pick you up."

I smiled with relief. I had been worried about that. As I continued packing, I couldn't get Shane out of my mind. I was terrified that something would happen to him before we left. Maybe a piece of debris would come in through his window, or....

I was interrupted by a loud honk from outside. "Nana!" I called. "The driver's here!"

As we hurried into the limo, lightning flashed, and I trembled. I slammed the door closed behind me. The driver, much to my relief, took us farther inland. I had worried that Shane's place would be on the water. Which was ridiculous, now that I thought about it. As we sped through the empty streets, I closed my eyes and leaned back against the headrest. Looking out the window would do me no good. It seemed like an eternity before I felt the limo stop. Nana and I were hustled out of the back by men I assumed worked for Shane.

Something that Shane had mentioned to me - had it only been yesterday? - ran through my mind. Something about him staying with a friend? Well, how many of his friends had helicopter pads and limos at their disposal? Not too many, I was guessing.

After we were rushed into the house - if I could even called it that; mansion seemed like a more suitable word - a familiar face appeared. But alas, it was not one that I had been expecting to see.

"Jason!" I grinned up at him. Dang, had he grown? "This is your place?"

"Last time I checked..." With most people, this line would come across as teasing. With Jason ... well, he just sounded confused.

I hugged him tightly. "It's so good to see you."

"You too, Mitchie," he replied. Then, "Hey, who's that?"

I pulled away and smiled at Nana. "Jason, this is my grandmother. Nana, this is Jason. He's a member of Connect 3."

"It's very nice to meet you, young man," Nana said, holding out her hand.

"Bit of an odd time for introductions, don't you think?" As if for emphasis, thunder clapped overhead, and the lights flickered. How very, very cliched.

"Shane, the helicopter's just out back. We'd better get going," Jason said.

Shane nodded. Grabbing the bag at his feet, he wound an arm around my waist and pulled me close.

"I missed you," he whispered. Despite my fears, I felt myself blush.

I nodded against his chest. I didn't feel nearly as nervous now. His presence could do so much to me.

Guided by Jason's employees, we hurried out onto the tarmac. Jason got in first, ducking beneath the whirling blades. Nana followed, and Shane and I crowded in behind her. I struggled to fasten my seatbelt with trembling hands. Shane, seeing my discomfort, gently batted my hands away and secured it himself. The pilot flicked a few switches, and before I knew it, we were off the ground. As we rose, I peered past the houses that had previously been blocking our view and caught sight of the stormy ocean. The Atlantic was a frothing navy. Waves twice my height were crashing crashing onto the beach, coming closer and closer to the sand dunes. I flinched as I saw lightning strike a nearby flag pole, and Shane grabbed my hand. I huddled into his chest as we veered away from the coast.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I am so sorry for the delay.**

As I buried my face into Shane's chest, I let my mind wander. Here, with his arms around me, wrapped in his scent, I knew that Gerrad didn't matter. Shane mattered. _We _mattered. I closed my eyes and listened to the pounding of his heart.

Sleep came and went. I drifted in and out of dreams. Shane's embrace never slackened, and I found solace in his closeness. At one point, my eyelids fluttered open. In my disorientation, I thought I saw a flash of light. Shane's arms tightened around me, and I welcomed unconsciousness back. He murmured sweet nothings into my ear, and my eyelids drooped.

My eyes flew open. Everything was white. I sat upright and blinked furiously against the sudden light as I took in my surroundings. The walls were off-white, and I found the matching carpet to be soft as I stepped down onto it. A gold gilt-framed mirror adorned one wall. A print of Monet's_ Water Lilies _decorated another, spotlighted by the sunlight streaming in from the window opposite. The bed I'd just vacated was king-sized and undoubtedly the crowning jewel of the room. The frame was a rich cherry fourposter with simple lace curtains tied back on all sides. The duvet I had been so quick to push aside was a lovely white eyelet, with crisp white sheets and pillows to boot.

As I glanced in the mirror, I finally noticed that I wasn't in my clothes from (what I was guessing was) the night before. I was clad in a modest white nightgown. I had to fight back a giggle when I realized that I matched my surroundings. But who had dressed me? Nana? I wondered whose nightgown it was. Still in front of the mirror, I took in the heavy bags under my eyes and the sallow tone of my skin. My hair was tangled and frizzy. I tried to smooth it without much success.

Giving up, I tiptoed over to the door. Opening it slowly, I peeked out. A dark hardwood floor stretched out in front of me, lined by walls the same off-white colour. There were too many doors leading from the hallway than I cared to count. The polished floor led to a glorious spiral staircase, above which glittered a magnificent chandelier. I cautiously entered the hallway, taking care to leave the door open. If I closed it, I knew I'd forget which room was mine. The staircase was my goal. As I drew closer, I could smell bacon wafting up from below.

I descended the staircase carefully, knowing that if I rushed I would fall. I reached the main floor, and stepped out into a huge kitchen.

"Mitchie," Shane breathed, warmth colouring his voice. He, Jason and Nana were helping themselves to platters of bacon, eggs and pancakes. He stood up from the table to greet me. "I didn't want to wake you."

A shiver travelled down my spine as he wound his arms around my waist and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes briefly. When I opened them, Nana was smiling at me over Shane's shoulder. I reluctantly parted from Shane and took a seat at the table. As I filled up my plate, a question bubbled from my lips. "Where are we?"

Shane grinned. "I was wondering when you were going to ask. We're in L.A. I bought this place about a year ago."

My eyebrows flew into my hairline. I had been expecting somewhere... well, closer to home.

"We landed pretty late," he explained, "You were out cold, so I carried you in."

I could feel a flush spreading across my cheeks. _Oh._

"And I changed you out of those sopping wet clothes of yours," Nana put in.

I smiled warmly at her.

* * *

After stuffing myself with breakfast, I headed back to my room to shower. Someone had washed and dried my clothes from the night before, and they were laid out on my freshly made bed. It must be nice to be rich. The bathroom was huge, all cream coloured walls and gold fixtures. It felt great to wash my hair, which had been feeling _quite _greasy. As I scrubbed away the memories of the night before, I began to sing under my breath. It had been so long since I'd _performed_. I knew I'd only done it a handful of times while at Camp Rock, but to be honest, I'd missed it. I had almost been looking forward to singing for Gerrad, simply because he hadn't heard me (live) before.

I threw on my clothes, brushed my hair, and headed down to the stable Shane had mentioned. He'd promised we could go for a ride. I followed the dirt path he'd said led the way. The sweet smell of hay grew as I approached the barn. I heard a neigh and knew I was getting close. Finally, the trees broke, and I found myself face to face with a paddock. A couple of horses grazed contentedly, their tails swatting at flies. The barn was a classic red and I headed for the huge sliding doors. Once again, I found the aisle flanked with stalls. I rounded a corner, and found myself twenty feet away from Shane and Jason, who appeared to be deep in conversation. Neither noticed me. I paused, unsure of what to do.

"Are you going to tell her today?" Jason asked.

Shane nodded, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yeah. I am."

Tell me what?


	20. Chapter 20

As I struggled to catch Shane's next words, the horse in the stall next to me neighed. I turned towards it to see its ears pricked and nostrils flaring, seemingly happy to see me. I turned back to Shane and Jason to find both of them eyeing me suspiciously.

"Hello!" I called, pasting a fake smile on my face. To my dismay, my voice faltered.

"Um, hi, Mitchie," Jason said.

"I was just, uh, looking for you two! I'm ready to go for my ride now," I realized too late that I sounded like an impatient child.

"Sure, Mitchie," Shane replied, looking quite put out.

I just _had _to listen in, hadn't I?

I offered him a weak grin as I approached tentatively. "Do I get to pick my own horse?"

Jason slipped away without a word. The tension in the air mounted.

Shane cleared his throat loudly. Was he blushing?

"Nu uh. You've never ridden before, have you?" Well, he didn't _sound _embarrassed...

"Ummm..."

"Just as I thought. You'll need to ride one of the quieter horses."

"Come again?"

"A horse that's well-behaved."

"You have horses that aren't well-behaved?"

"I have horses that are fast."

"Oh." Gotcha.

"C'mon, Mitchie. Let's go find you a horse," Shane said, reaching for my hand. He sounded resigned. What had I accidentally intruded on? What had they been talking about?

I let Shane lead me to the stall of a small brown mare. "This is Penny," Shane said. "She'll take good care of you."

And again, I felt like a child.

Still acting sullen, Shane demonstrated how to properly groom Penny, and then let me have a try as he went to ready his own horse. As I brushed her coat to a shine, I felt myself calm. I had always been an animal person.

"Y'know," I mentioned to the horse. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop on those two."

Penny snorted.

"I know, I know," I said. "I shouldn't have stayed to listen."

She sighed.

"I'm pretty upset with myself, too."

After I picked her hooves and combed through the tangles in her mane, I stuck my head out of Penny's stall.

"Hey Shane?" I called, my voice raised only slightly so as not to spook the horses.

"Mmhmm?" A muffled reply came from a few meters down.

"What now?"

Shane's laughter drifted down the aisle. "Now, we tack up."

Shane grabbed Penny's saddle and bridle from what he called the tack room and showed me how to put them on her. It didn't seem very complicated. I was sure that if I practiced enough, I'd get the hang of it pretty quickly. Shane took care of his own horse, Star, and showed me how to lead Penny outside. Following Shane's instructions word for word, I placed my left foot in the stirrup and swung myself up and over. When I was atop Penny, I was completely out of my element, and I was immediately thankful for the helmet Shane had given me earlier. Shane swung onto Will's back with ease and I envied how natural he looked. As I fiddled with my reins and tried to settle myself in the saddle, Shane rattled off an endless list of instructions. Heels down, shoulders back, chin up. _Feel _Penny's mouth with the reins, but don't pull on it. Don't hesitate, or she'll know it. Easy, right? Not so much. Following Shane's order, I squeezed Penny's sides slightly with my calves and she walked forward. I beamed.

"See? It's not so bad," Shane said, smiling easily. My guilt resurfaced at the look he gave me. I still couldn't believe I'd intruded on his conversation like that. I opened my mouth to apologize, but Shane beat me to the punch.

"Mitchie, I know you feel bad. But really, don't worry about it."

And truthfully, that just made me feel worse. My stomach felt worse than it had a year ago when Dad had entered me in a singing competition and I've been sick (literally) on stage. And trust me, it was _not _a nice feeling.

We rode in silence for quite some time. The rhythmic _plod _of Penny's hooves made me feel oddly at ease. But depite my best efforts to push them away, the worries I'd had earlier resurfaced. What if Jason had been helping Shane decide how to best break up with me? Even though technically, we'd never been a couple? Maybe he didn't want us to be more than friends, which somehow seemed worse than him not wanting to see me again. Being around Shane and not being with him might have been harder than completely separating from him. In my tired and frustrated state, I decided to voice my concerns. I would usually never be so gutsy.

I drew a deep breath and gathered my strength from Penny's comforting prescence. "Shane, I know that what you guys were talking about was really important," I blurted. "And I'm guessing, from your reaction, that it was about me?"

I got my answer from Shane's silence.

"And whatever it's about, I can handle it. I'll be okay if you have feelings for someone else." I was full-on babbling now. "Maybe not okay, but whatever, I'll deal with it. So go ahead. Really."

I looked over at Shane cautiously, fully expecting him to admit to something awful. Even if he hadn't thought about breaking up with me before today, wouldn't he think of it now, after I'd invaded his privacy? So imagine my surprise when he started laughing.

"Mitchie, Mitchie, Mitchie," Shane said, shaking his head. "Do you have no faith in me?"

"Um." Aren't I brilliant?

He instantly sobered. "Yes, Mitchie, I was talking about you. And yes, I do need to tell you something. But not right now. I want to show you something first."

I nodded, not ready to trust my voice. What did he need to tell me?

We continued on until only nature was visible. No buildings in sight. Before long, the smell of the sea that always hung in the air grew stronger. We rounded a hill, and twenty yards before us the land dropped away suddenly. Waves lapped at the base of the cliff. The ocean lay before us, daunting and beautiful. Without a word, Shane dismounted, and I followed suit on trembling legs. He took Penny's reins from my outstretched hand and tied the two horses loosely to a nearby branch. This felt like something out of a fairytale.

Shane intertwined his fingers with mine and led me as close to the edge of the cliff as he dared. He smiled at me and I caught my breath.

"Ever since I found this place, I've dreamed about telling a girl I loved her here."

I did a double take. Did he just say...?

"So... here it is," he said, taking a deep breath. "Mitchie, I'm in love with you."

My heart was pounding so hard I swear it was making me shake. I started to speak, but once again, Shane cut me off.

"I think I've been in love with you since I heard you sing for the first time. Even though I didn't know it was you yet."

I felt myself melt under his gaze. How did I ever get so lucky?

"I don't know how, but we're going to make this work. I can't picture myself with anyone but you."

I couldn't remain silent for any longer. I could finally say those words I'd been fantasizing about telling Shane ever since I'd met him.

"I love you, too."

And then Shane's lips were on mine. And I realized that I'd been wrong earlier. This was _better _than a fairytale.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, don't you just love the corniness of it? So yeah, that's it. The final chapter. So now the question is... do you want a sequel? The poll's on my page. Votes and reviews are very much appreciated.**


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